Despite failing to receive government backing for a potential bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games, South Africa’s sport minister said today, June 14, that he still wants the country to bid for the event, going against a cabinet decision last month to instead spend money on services for the poor.

Fikile Mbalula claimed that he still hopes to convince his colleagues in President Jacob Zuma’s cabinet to revisit plans for an Olympic bid, which the government vetoed after estimating it would cost around US$50m.

Mbalula stated: “The bidding process is quite open. If we’re able to persuade government otherwise and turn around things, then we’ll still be able to announce (a bid).”

Mbalula collapsed at the May 25 cabinet meeting where plans for a bid were scrapped and was later hospitalised with what the government described as “flu-like” symptoms.

He revealed at a briefing on preparations for a meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) next month in the eastern port city of Durban: “From our own point of view, the struggle continues. It’s not all lost.”

Durban had been tipped as a likely bidder for the 2020 summer games after winning praise as a host city during the FIFA World Cup last year. The South African government said it would rather spend money creating jobs and improving services like water and electricity, and spokesman Jimmy Manyi said: “If any money is going to be spent, it’s going to be on basic service delivery.”

South Africa poured $5bn into the first World Cup in Africa and largely overcame fears about crime and poor transportation to host a widely applauded tournament.

However, the country struggles to provide basic services and faces a 25 per cent unemployment rate, issues that have sparked major protests in poor communities in recent years.

Candidates for 2020 must submit their bids to the IOC by September 1. The host city will be chosen in Buenos Aires in September 2013. Doha, Istanbul, Rome, Tokyo and South Korea’s Busan have all shown interest in hosting the event.

According to a report by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) revealing projections of medal successes at next year’s London Olympics, Australia are set to finish behind Britain, with Russia winning the most medals.

Based on results from World Championships, World Cups and other major international events staged in 2010, Russia is projected to win 97 medals at next year’s Games ahead of 94 for the United States and 93 for China, the AOC said.

However, the US are projected to top the gold medals chart with an estimated 38, pipping China on 37 and Russia on 30.

Britain is fourth, with a projected medal count of 48 medals, made up of 19 gold, 19 silver and 10 bronze, followed by Germany on 47, France on 45 and Japan on 43. 

The findings from the AOC predict that Australia, which finished in sixth place at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with 46 medals, will get four fewer at the next edition, including 11 gold, three less than last time, which could drop them to as low as eighth.

AOC President John Coates stated: “A top five position is still very achievable. There are five countries jostling for fourth and fifth spots who are all very close together.”

An extra $23 million in Government funding to elite sports provided late last year may help lift performances between now and the start of the London Games in July 2012, Coates said: “It took a while coming but it’s kicking in now.”

FOX Sports has extended its coverage of the Masters in a new multi-year deal.

Fresh from a renewal of the exclusive cable, satellite, terrestrial and multi-media broadcast rights of The Masters in 18 countries across Asia to 2016, FOX Sports have upped the ante for this year’s tournament with an even bigger coverage of the first golf major of the year.

The network has scored a coup with 2005 US Open winner, Michael Campbell, as well as Jay Sajamark, a veteran PGA Tour commentator and presenter, and Tim Low, a Singaporean golf professional, joining the FOX Sports presentation team for The Masters Tournament, to give golf fans in Asia more than 28 hours of LIVE and special programming. In addition, commentary will be available in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and for the first time, in Thai.

 “Our renewal of The Masters Tournament is an affirmation of FOX Sports as the premier destination for sports fans in Asia”, said Rohit D’Silva, Senior Vice President, Content & Communication for Sports at FOX International Channels Asia.  “We’re focused on delivering the best possible viewing experience and so are pleased to be offering top tier programming, enhanced overall coverage and in multiple languages for the 2014 Masters, and look forward to continually improve on future editions.” 

In addition to catching the action on FOX Sports and in high-definition on FOX Sports Plus HD, fans in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore will be able to catch additional content LIVE and on-demand on FOX Sports Play at www.foxplayasia.com, or with the FOX Sports Play app on their Android and iOS devices. Alternatively, fans who have subscribed to FOX Sports Mobile may also follow the action streamed LIVE to their mobile phones.  Fans can also catch highlights on the 24/7 sports news channel, FOX Sports News.

Fox’s coverage of the Masters is set to begin today.

Annecy 2018 Winter Games bid President Charles Beigbeder claimed that the underdog candidate can still win the right to host the Games at next months session in Durban following the results of a new opinion poll showing that more than 90% of the French public are in support of its bid.

The Annecy 2018 Bid Committee commissioned market research firm IFOP to carry out a final opinion poll, with fieldwork taking place between 19 and 31 May.

When respondents were asked the question: “Are you in favour of the city of Annecy in Haute Savoie hosting the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games?”, on a national scale 91% said yes, on a regional scale 88% supported the bid but locally, just 67% were in favour.

Despite these findings showing that support is now higher than at any other time in the campaign, 16 per cent higher than when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) conducted a similar poll during the Evaluation Commission earlier this year, the result is still significantly lower than the 92% recorded in Pyeongchang, the favourites.

Adidas, sale in their role as official sportswear provider for London 2012, ambulance have launched a new initiative offering the UK public the opportunity to name the official soccer ball that will be used at the London 2012 Olympic Games. 

The design of the ball remains unknown and will continue to do so until the official launch in the spring of 2012, ampoule when the lucky winner will become part of Olympic Games history by having their suggested name printed on the ball. 

Not only will the winner become part of the Olympic legacy, they will also be presented with an official tournament soccer ball and, as a little extra, two tickets to the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final at Wembley, a welcome add-on with the high ticket prices announced yesterday, February 17. 

Everton and England U21 player Jack Rodwell said: “The Games capture the whole world’s attention and it’ll be amazing to have the finest sportsmen and women competing in Britain. I would be proud to be involved and represent Team GB as competing in an Olympics on home soil is without a doubt, a once in lifetime opportunity”.

An expert panel will then narrow down the entries to a shortlist of 10 and, from this top 10, one winner will be picked. 

Chairman of the 2012 Games, Sebastian Coe, added: “The Olympic Football tournament will see some of the world’s best young players competing in this country and millions of people can be part of it when tickets go on sale from March 15.  However one lucky person will make a real mark on the tournament by naming the ball – what an opportunity to be part of Olympic history”.

The International Biathlon Union (IBU) have signed a partnership with the European Broadcast Union (EBU)that makes the EBU the IBU’s exclusive media partner for four more Biathlon seasons, from 2014 to 2018 inclusive.

The contract extends an unbroken 21-year partnership that began when the IBU was founded, in 1993. 

Under the agreement, the EBU will exploit the global multiplatform media rights to all IBU Biathlon World Cups, IBU World Championships and various other IBU events during the term, guaranteeing free-to-air coverage of elite world Biathlon competitions to a worldwide audience.

The EBU will also provide various other services to the IBU, including provision of a streaming platform on the IBU website, extensive production and transmission guarantees and various contract management, project coordination and implementation services. 

The IBU-EBU cooperation has brought unparalleled success in terms of the TV audience, with a 60% increase in cumulated viewing figures over the last decade. 

The first competition to come under the new agreement will be the Summer Biathlon World Championships, in Tyumen, Russia, from 21-24 August 2014. 

The event content includes all IBU World Cups (36), IBU World Championships (3), IBU Cups (28), IBU Summer Biathlon World Championships (4), IBU European Championships (4) and IBU Youth and Junior World Championships (4), with more than 350 hours of live TV content during the term. 

IBU President Anders Besseberg said: “This long-standing partnership with the EBU and its Biathlon TV members has been one of the cornerstones of the success of our sport, which we have developed into one of the most, if not the most, popular Winter Sport on television.  The EBU and a vast number of other IBU partners have contributed to this success, and we are proud of what we have achieved together.” 

EBU Director Sports & Business Stefan Kuerten added: “We are really pleased to prolong our cooperation with the IBU, a major world sports federation that we’ve worked seamlessly with since 1993. This latest agreement is a win-win for the Olympic sport of Biathlon, for EBU Members and, in particular, for our long-standing partner, the IBU.  We have pushed our multi-services approach further, a move that has been well received by our clients, so we look forward to building on our success and further strengthening the partnership with our Biathlon friends.”